


Tied

by AwkwardSilence



Category: One Piece
Genre: AU Where Ace is somehow alive, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Devil Fruits, F/M, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Luffy doesn't know whoops, On my last 2 braincells, One Piece - Freeform, Post-Marineford, non-canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:41:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27866281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwkwardSilence/pseuds/AwkwardSilence
Summary: The battle of Marineford spoke of a new era for pirates and marines alike--regardless of who you supported, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the world would never be the same after the death of Whitebeard, the execution of Portgas D. Ace, and the resulting fight between Akainu and Aokiji shook the world to its core. One thing was certain, however, is that despite a three year disappearance, nothing seemed to stop the Strawhat Pirates from pushing through every possible boundary and expectation. The scars of their past pushed them forward to new heights, though that didn't mean that they moved on to forget. They, and especially Luffy, fought through pain and sorrow to become the powerhouse of a crew that they were now, and they deserved every bit of fame and infamy that they got.Three years after Marineford, Ace woke up freezing in a boat.
Relationships: Portgas D. Ace & Monkey D. Luffy, Portgas D. Ace/OC, Portgas D. Ace/Original Character
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

If you could have a second chance, would you take it?

There are things in this life that are unexplainable, and even more so in the next. Questions left unanswered in the first life became increasingly impossible to answer, and just as easy to forget. They were thrown to the void, where they drifted on a forgotten sea of memories.

He was... cold. For someone who ran so hot normally, Portgas D. Ace felt a chill that numbed him to the bone, and he shivered uncontrollably. What was he doing again?

_Luffy._

Oh.

Right.

His little brother had come to save him, and yet in the end... well, Ace ended up saving him instead. But he had done it! Even if the only reason why people had been continuing to watch the war was because they now knew that he was Roger’s son, his name had been known all across the world as the 2nd Division Commander of the White Beard Pirates. That had been enough. Knowing that Luffy went through hell and back just to rescue his own pathetic ass... that had been enough. Jinbei had promised to keep Luffy safe, and Ace believed him. The fishman was honorable, and he’d sooner die than break a promise to a friend—in that regard, he reminded Ace of his bungling kid brother himself... and of their childhood brother, Sabo.

But as memories came flooding back to him, he became increasingly confused. Wasn’t he dead? Was he in hell? Wasn’t that place supposed to be hot? All he saw was darkness, and it took longer than it should have in order for him to realize that his eyes were actually closed. He supposed he wouldn’t know how the afterlife worked—it wouldn’t make any sense to him, anyway. Taking the time, he began to work on opening his eyes—that was his first priority. It took him far too long, though he didn’t know how much time had passed. It could have been an eternity, but light began to fill his vision and he slowly blinked open to see... a pale blue sky. The sun was rising somewhere behind his head, meaning he was facing west. The familiar sense of rocking back and forth gently told him he was on a ship, though one look showed it was a glorified dingy with a sail.

“You’re awake,” he froze, the voice coming from behind him, and belonging to a young woman.

“What the hell is going on here...?!” he mumbled, out of breath. Ace had never had a panic attack before, but he was beginning to think that’s what he was experiencing. “Is this hell? I... I died.”

“You did,” she agreed, not moving into his line of vision. He tried to pick up his head in order to see the woman as she spoke. “But this is very much so the real world.”

“H-how...?” his voice cracked. He saw everything so vividly when he closed his eyes, he felt the pain of being punched through by Akainu. There was no way he survived... she even _said_ he died.

“You are still weak. Your body looks like your old one, but it is, in fact, new,” she continued, and he looked down to confirm it. He had everything except for his hat and his necklaces, the brief vision of his bright round beads stained with his blood rolling to the feet of Whitebeard flooding his memory.

Straining, between his dark unruly locks, Ace tilted his head, grunting in both pain and effort as she continued to speak. “Your Devil Fruit abilities are gone, hence your constant shivering. Now that you have a normal body temperature, moderate climates will feel exceptionally cool until you are used to them.” Her feet retreated and he stopped his attempt to pant, only for the footsteps to return, a blanket thrown over his features. At this moment his vision, his current, waking vision, was filled with the sight of the female, a beautiful young woman who could be around his age, if not a little younger, her tone flat and her gaze studying him. As if she didn’t quite know what to do herself.

“I am the holder of the _Tsunagu Tsunagu no Mi_ , and your soul is tied with mine. That is why you are still here,” she spoke carefully, hands hovering in place above him, hesitant to move, before finally pulling the blanket up to his chin. “As far as I can tell, our connection gave you a piece of my soul, and a new body. Though how? I don’t exactly know.”

Ace stared at her blankly before his gaze returned to the sky, processing this information slowly. The world... wanted him here? For the longest time in his childhood, Ace thought that he wasn’t meant to have been born. That he was an anomaly... a mistake. Even Old Man Garp couldn’t answer the question for him, and he blinked silently. There must be something he had yet to do. His gaze slid over to the woman, who had pushed up to make sure they were going the right way on the small sailboat. It had something to do with her, and this chance...? Well, he wasn’t going to waste it. He could feel his eyes closing—a nap sounded good right about now.


	2. Chapter 2

It was three days they spent in the dingy... Three days and Ace still didn’t know where they were, or where they were going. The fact of the matter was that he spent most of the time shivering, eating, and then sleeping. It was more limbo than reality, but at least it was... existence. When he slept, he contemplated this fact. Ace was alive...

Every now and again, the woman would break into his thoughts to offer him water, or food, both of which he took gratefully, his stomach growling or throat parched. Her attentiveness was appreciated, considering it took a while for Ace to being to regain more of his faculties. Was this usual for those who had been brought back? He had no idea, and no one to baseline his experiences with either.

And Luffy had no idea. That thought in particular kept breaking into his subconscious. The world had no idea that 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates was still alive, after the world saw him die. This limbo, was interrupted by one question, however. One that he felt he knew the answer to, but he was still afraid to ask. “The old man...?” he found his voice one time, on the third day, after the young woman had given him a sip of water. “Is he...?” She paused as she moved, and Ace took the time to take in her features. She was nothing spectacular—in fact, she might have been considered what some might call “homely,” but it could have been the rags she was wearing, and the dirt smudged across her face. Silver hair tumbled down her shoulders in messy waves, brown eyes narrowed under thin brows. He noted a beauty mark above the right side of her lip.

“Whitebeard... his passing issued what they now call the ‘dawn of the new era’,” she finally broke the silence, and even though he could have guessed the answer, his heart—new or old—didn’t want to believe it was true. “His division commanders were split into the winds, hunted by the Blackbeard pirates in something now known as the Payback Wars. Unfortunately I don’t know their whereabouts or who still lives.”

Ace felt as though a new hole had been ripped through him, an ache that he couldn’t get rid of. His chest itched but he was slowly increasing his strength, getting to the point where he could stand up in the dingy, and walk a few paces around to stretch his legs. After such a delicate question answered his worst fears, the son of Whitebeard remained silent save for acknowledging grunts for the following days. The more he moved, the more his body seemed to remember his muscles—it was strange how his muscle mass hadn’t seemed to deteriorate despite how much he seemed to have been resting. He would have thought that he would have to make up for his weaknesses with physical training, but after initially re-learning how to walk (and on such a small and unstable surface) he already felt stronger, the muscle memory returning to him. That didn’t mean he wasn’t still groggy—his entire body felt sluggish, like he was pushing his hands through a viscous fog.

When they spotted an island on the horizon, Ace finally felt like speaking with the woman again, his eyes still drooping from exhaustion as he viewed the shoreline dully. There was nothing spectacular to note about it—the beach seemed shallow and the rest of the island seemed to be hidden behind rocky crags and cliffs, making him wonder if it was even inhabited. “Which island is this?”

“According to my map,” the young woman explained, grunting lightly as she tied up the sail, “it is a small island called Amriti. There should be a village where I can get food, and maybe the both of us new clothes.” Turning away from him, she turned back with a blank expression, holding out a burlap tarp to him. “If you want to come into town with me, I think I have enough Berries for a room at an inn as well. It would be a good opportunity to rest up and get cleaned. You’re going to have to wear this, though.” Sitting up slowly, Ace shook the fatigue from his features as best as possible. He hated hiding like this, but he wasn’t an idiot. He understood the implications of what would happen if the world found out that he was alive.

“C’mon Ace—“ he hadn’t realized that he had zoned out until he heard the splash of the woman jumping out of the boat, extending an arm out to him.

“Hold up, I don’t need help!” he muttered under his breath, ignoring the offered hand out of spite as he pushed himself to stand. The burlap was scratchy against his skin, but despite the warm summer climate of the island, he still pulled the material tighter around himself, it cutting off some of the chill that crept into his bones. The wind sweeping off the waves was enough to make him shiver, and his eyes narrowed slightly at the foreign feeling. Once he was successfully up, the woman dropped her arm, and Ace carefully hopped out of the boat, losing his footing only for her to catch him by the shoulders with a soft gasp.

“What...” he started, the close proximity of their faces going unnoticed by the male as his dark onyx orbs scoured into her brown eyes for a moment... before he promptly fell asleep on her shoulder.

“Ace! Hey! Wake up!” the young woman scrambled, shaking him until his head popped off of her shoulder, letting her breath out a sigh of relief.

“What is your name?” he asked finally, the realization having come to mind that this woman had been taking care of him for some time and he didn’t even know her name to properly thank her. Makino had taught him better manners than that, surely... though hopefully this mysterious woman would cut him some slack considering the odd circumstances.

“Oh?” She looked so surprised, eyebrows raised and lips forming a small, perfect ‘o’. “It’s... Rina. Rina Takanashi.”

“Thank you, Rina...” he bowed politely, making sure to remember everything that he had tried so hard to learn. “For taking care of a fool like me.”

A light pink color seemed to have erupted on her cheeks as he straightened back up, probably out of embarrassment at such a formal gesture. “I-it’s no problem...! We’re kind of stuck together now, so...!” she began to stammer, biting her lip as she turned to face away from him. A chuckle left his lips and he looked down to his feet. Submerged in water, he silently noted how it had been a long time since he had been able to stand in water without feeling that nagging, draining feeling from the Devil Fruit’s curse. It usually was less of a problem ankle deep, more just annoying; like that of a small headache, or even a mosquito buzzing around your head that you couldn’t shake. He wondered, then, if that meant that he could swim again? Even if he was somehow affected by this “devil fruit” ability that Rina had, could he now do some of the things that his Devil fruit ability had denied him? “C’mon, let’s go,” Rina cleared her throat, having most likely caught him slipping into his mind once again.

“Right—into the village."

* * *

Amriki was a summer island, and while the weather was warm their flora and fauna wasn’t exactly “tropical,” a strange deciduous forest surrounding rolling plains and a rocky seashore signaling a different climate than a lot of what Ace had been used to seeing on the Grand Line. He wondered if this was due to the smaller size of the island, but as they approached the village, he saw a bustling community—not too small for everyone to be related, and yet not large enough to be a bustling town, Ace pulled the burlap tarp around him a little more firmly. He wasn’t sure how long Rina had been taking care of him, but so far it sounded like she had avoided getting him noticed, so he wasn’t about to ruin it for the both of them by being careless. In fact, the more he thought about it (and the stronger he felt with each step he took) the more questions he thought to ask the silver haired woman in front of him once they were alone again.

“Hello, and welcome!” They both flinched as a cheery-sounding voice addressed them. It seemed it was all too easy to be picked out as the strangers in this place. Quickly turning around, Rina plastered on her best smile as a man in his 40s with a thick mustache on his upper lip greets them. "Welcome to our fair Amriki, what brings you here?"

"Hi there," Rina's smiled pulled taught and felt fake, but if there was any sort of indicator that she was lying, the man wasn't able to pick it up. "My friend and I have been out at sea for quite some time, but unfortunately he got sick. Now we're just looking for a quiet, affordable inn to rest up."

"Out on the Grand Line? By yourselves?" his surprise wasn't unfounded--it was nearly impossible to make it anywhere out on the Grand Line without a significant crew or a decently sized vessel. Regardless of their means of transportation, the man seemed to laugh and not think about it too much. After all, what harm could a sick man and one woman do to a town of their size? “Well, it seems like you two have been through a lot—“

‘You could say that again...’ Ace grumbled to his own mind, having to bite his tongue to keep from speaking. He doubted anyone would recognize him by his voice, but apparently being previously-dead had made him paranoid. He’s thought for so long that his Devil Fruit abilities had made him invincible—no wonder Teach sought out the fruit he did. Through that entire ordeal it had forced Ace to come to the conclusion: crazy strong abilities or no, humans, by nature, were fragile creatures. Born to break and heal and crack and break some more, until one day you just didn’t get up again. If that was his fate, Ace refused to do anything else but to go in style.

He hadn’t even realized the conversation with the older man had ended until he felt Rina tug at his arm, leading him away with a loose and yet strong grip. Raising an eyebrow at her from within the confines of his burlap cloak, he watched as her chocolate gaze stayed fixed ahead of them and sighed as he turned his gaze to do the same. The town was... ‘quaint.’ Indeed, that seemed like the perfect word to describe Amriki Village. The houses were made out of wood and plaster with little decorations, but there seemed to be an abundance of plants. Clay pottery of different sizes and colors greeted them on every doorstep and storefront, and the sight pulled the smallest smile on his lips. 

“Their herbalists are fairly well known, growing things that are used in both medicine and food production all over the Grand Line,” Rina’s voice floated lightly up from beside him. The woman was about a half foot shorter than he was, and he blinked at her sudden interruption to his thoughts. “But the most famous person here is apparently their sculptor—there’s a great wealth of clay in the small mountain pass to the east, and people sell them all over the Grand Line. Or at least... that’s what the older gentleman said.” At his raised eyebrow, she shrugged, flicking silver hair over one shoulder with her free hand as the other was used to guide him by the bicep. “I figured you had fallen asleep again or something. It was kinda neat to learn about this place, though.”

”The only way towns out in the middle of nowhere like this get recognized or even just survive is if they have something no one else does,” Ace watched as she nodded in agreement, turning them to the left down a less populated street. “Unfortunately you probably know what that means.” His gaze darkened slightly as she nodded once more 

“Pirates might try to raise the place. Either that or the Marines distribute goods and make them pay a protection tax; either way, it’s probably not a good idea to stay here for too long,” she hummed, eyes lighting up as she spotted a particular sign in the distance. “There it is! The inn I got directions to.”

Ace's eyes softened at the way her face lit up, noting the childishness in the gesture. It reminded him, he realized, a bit of Luffy, but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. His bungling kid brother wasn't the only person alive who could act childish. Still holding onto his arm, Rina brought them to the inn, and once stepping inside, a young woman greeted them. Squaring away a room was easy enough, and once they stepped inside the meager accommodations, Ace let out a small sigh of relief, feeling the tension drain from his shoulders as he turned to his companion. Rina had swiftly noted the singular bed and began to take some of the blankets and pillows to make a makeshift bed on the floor. 

"Thanks, just a blanket and a pillow will be enough," Ace nodded to her, stepping closer as he dropped the tarp from his figure. Rina's brown gaze slid over to him, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. "That's--you're not sleeping on the floor, I will." She said it so plainly he nearly choked. 

"What? No way, I'm not letting you sleep on the floor," he shook his head, his gaze narrowing slightly as Rina returned the look, both individuals glaring at each other. 

"Funny, I was thinking the exact same thing," she started, pursing her lips. "Listen here, whether you like it or not your body is still getting accustomed to... everything," she waved her hands at him vaguely. "So you need as much rest as you can get until you're up to 100% in terms of functionality. I don't mind sleeping on the floor." Ace hadn't exactly talked to many girls while a part of Whitebeard's crew--it really wasn't a priority--but he was pretty sure they weren't supposed to act like this. "The entire reason I wanted to stop was so you could fully get used to this body on solid ground, but sleeping on the floor is not what I meant!" Her small pout turned soft and she sighed, releasing any tension herself as she turned to look out the window--it was small and their room was on the second floor, so it was probably fine if they left the curtains open. Still, for safety's sake, Rina stepped forward to close the curtains anyway. "Beside, what kind of a caretaker would I be if I let you sleep on the floor?"

"What kind of man would I be if I left a chick to sleep on the hard ground?" Ace countered, raising an eyebrow at her. A silence permeated the room as their small argument came to a standstill, both standing on the precipice of a point they didn't want to back down on, and neither willing to see eye-to-eye. Ace felt his eyebrow twitch as he grit his teeth, before he caved and groaned. "Tell you what--we can trade off. Every other night. I sleep on the floor, you sleep on the floor, repeat. Fair deal?"

"I'll sleep on the floor tonight," she nodded, not missing a beat as Ace's mouth dropped in shock. That wasn't what he...! Forcing a sigh through his nose, he turned and walked to the small single bed, promptly face-planting into the mattress. He didn't know how long it had been since he had slept in a bed, but to someone who was used to cots and wherever seemed like he wasn't going to get trampled, it nearly felt like the softest thing he'd ever slept on. Too soft, in fact, but now that he was lying down, he became acutely aware of how tired he felt. 

"Ugh... this whole 'new body' thing really sucks," he groaned, turning over onto his back with varying levels of success, muscles protesting at the action. His body was affected by an ache that felt like it was coating him. "I don't understand why I'm so sore from just _walking_." Rina hummed in what he supposed was understanding, and the silver haired female came to the bed, sitting on the edge next to him. He could feel her gaze on him, deep and focused, though his onyx orbs stayed fixated on the ceiling. He supposed now was as good a time as any to begin picking her brain. "So..." the silence was uncomfortable anyway. "Can you go back to what happened. I think you tried to tell me when I was coming in and out of consciousness, but I don't remember anything. How did you... find me?"

The look on Rina's face matched the awkward silence, her brows pinching together as she slowly worked through what to say in her mind. "I suppose it was... probably around the time you got captured." Immediately his body stiffened, thinking back to Teach and how underestimating the male had been Ace's downfall. His gaze darkened, and as if sensing the shifting mood, Rina's worried gaze flitted back to him. He nodded, the ceiling increasingly interesting to him as he silently urged her to continue. "I felt something that day--a tugging pull that wouldn't stop. It felt as though I _had_ to go out to sea. And I needed to," there was more to her words, but Ace was far too focused on the tale to interrupt for any particular details. "I felt pain--and grief, but it wasn't my own. I'd had my Devil Fruit for so long, and despite knowing it's potential, it's not like I knew everything it could do. It wasn't until the news of your execution got out that I began to... suspect something. Call it intuition, or maybe it was just my Devil Fruit letting me know, but somehow I figured I was tied to you."

Screw that, Ace was going to interrupt for details. "You went out to sea," he was sitting up on his elbows, eyes widened at her in shock. "On a _hunch?!_ " 

"W-well, when you put it so simply of course it sounds stupid!" she stammered, heat rising to her cheeks as she turned away from him. "Besides, it was a hunch that was correct, wasn't it?"

"You've got to be the stupidest woman I've ever met," he couldn't stop the thought from blurting out. 

"At least you're honest," she sniffled, and a feeling of panic welled within his chest. He hadn't meant to make her cry! Shit! He was horrible at talking to girls! Thankfully ignoring Ace's distress, Rina continued. "I had been stopped at a town during the broadcast--it was horrible to watch considering some pirates hijacked the Cameko Den Den Mushi. Still... it was electrifying. All the fighting, the clashing of ideals--it was unlike the world had ever seen." She paused, turning back to face him. "When you died, I felt awful. I had heard news of your execution and left my island to go find you. I don't know what I would have done--a stupid civilian running to Marineford on this 'hunch' of mine that my Devil Fruit was somehow connected to you." Rina's brows furrowed again, her eyes glinting with pale light. "But I began to realize that the pain I felt was more than just guilt, it was physical. I was in so much pain, actually. It was excruciating." His eyes widened. "I ran into the woods, not caring where I went, I just wanted the pain to end. It lasted for hours, and I didn't know where I was or what was wrong with me. Eventually, I passed out. I woke up a few days later, and... there you were!" 

"Just like that." Was she serious?

"Just like that," she nodded, her gaze returned to a sense of normalcy, and he continued to be shocked. 

"Wait wait wait," Ace ran a hand through his hair, closing his eyes as he tried to make sense of everything he had heard. "You're telling me that I appeared just a _few days_ after I died?" At her nod, he gaped. "How long have we been traveling together for?"

Her face seemed to grow a little red at the idea, and she shimmied in place under the heat of his gaze, the Fire Fist still holding some heat, even without his Devil Fruit abilities. "So... I've been dragging you around with me for three years?" He gaped, jaw slack as he tried to comprehend what that might look like. 

"H-how? W-why?!"

"It was really awkward, okay!" her flustered tone was far too loud, and he shrank back at the outburst. Calming down slightly, Rina shrugged, worrying into her bottom lip with her teeth. "Traveling on my own was hard enough, but with the body of a man who was supposed to be dead?! I mean, you were mostly... there. I think." She ran her hands through her hair, and Ace noted how dirty they were--and felt guilty. She'd had to lug around his useless ass all while hiding his identity for this long? "Oh man, this is so hard to explain! Listen, when I woke up, I wasn't in pain anymore, but I felt... a little more _hollow,_ " she brought up her hands for air quotes, "than usual. It was then that I surmised that through my Devil Fruit, the _Tsunagu Tsunagu no Mi_ that we must have been connected. That's what I was feeling when you were captured and when you died. A connection. My Devil Fruit, having lost the connection with your death, used a part of my soul to reconstruct a body for you, though now you're tied to me." He must have looked awfully confused, because the more he stared, the more flustered Rina became. 

"That doesn't make any sense."

"I-I know it doesn't, but I swear that's what happened!" she reiterated, nodding fervently. "We are undoubtedly tied together, I can't even go too far from you or I begin to weaken." That certainly caught his attention as she nodded. "I've tried before and I exhibited some weird, and terrible," the last part was whispered but Ace still caught it. "Side effects. Shortness of breath, dizziness, fuzzy spots in my gaze, almost blacking out... I thought I might have gotten sick somehow, until I got progressively better the closer I got to your body. T-To you, that is." A lock of hair twirled within her fingers as she rubbed one of her eyes, a sigh on her lips. "I guess I figured... maybe I was just stuck with a body for no reason, but that didn't make any sense! Besides, you were _breathing._ You looked like you were simply asleep. I couldn't just leave you like that, regardless of whether or not I could physically get out of your vicinity. I suppose I was hoping to, eventually, run into the Strawhat pirates. I mean, Luffy himself announced at Marineford that you were brothers, even if you were Roger's son, and he was Garp's." She shrugged. "I thought maybe... maybe that was my purpose."

"You're bringing me to Luffy...?" his lip trembled at the thought. He wanted to see him. To tell his little brother that he was okay--that he had nearly failed his promise not to die, but here he was, back to make good on his word. Of course, there was the idea of the other members... or former members of Whitebeard's crew. He couldn't believe the old man was gone. "I... I don't know how to respond to any of this."

"You don't have to respond at all," Rina shook her head, a wistful look crossing her features. "I'm just telling you what happened from my perspective, like you asked. Now then... I suppose we should decide what to do next." With that, Rina stood up from the bed, rolling her shoulders. "The safest thing would, obviously, be to find a small island, uninhabited even, and just live out the rest of our lives like hermits, but that's not going to guarantee you'll see your brother or your friends again."

"Yeah, I need to see Luffy," Ace nodded, his resolve set. "He has to know that I'm okay--I won't let him go on thinking I'm dead. That's not the kinda guy I am, anyway. Living as a hermit sounds like the dullest thing ever." Despite herself, Rina snorted, and Ace's eyes lightened up at the noise--it was better, to talk lightly like this. The heavy thoughts had been on his mind constantly while they were at sea, and Ace had realized he spent far too much time pondering the worth and meaning of his existence in his first life--now with a second chance, he wanted to do better and leave that all behind him. "And based on what you said about my friends... who knows? We might run into a few of them while at sea. Those guys are way too strong to just roll over and die..." Rina seemed to catch on to his enthusiasm.

"So we're going to get you back on your feet and to the Strawhat pirates... they're big name criminals now, it'll be no easy task," Rina nodded, biting her lip as she thought. "They were quiet for three years, but I just heard that they were spotted on Sabaody--they must be heading for the New World." 

"Sounds like fun... I gotta get used to fighting like a normal human again," Ace grinned, ignoring the fatigued protest his muscles gave as he cracked his knuckles. "I was strong without my Devil Fruit abilities, I don't doubt I'll be strong again." At his words, Rina seemed to deflate, all the confidence leaving her. "What's the matter?"

"I nearly forgot to mention--I'm practically useless in a fight..." wringing her wrists, the female began to pace nervously. "I've certainly developed a lot more muscles thanks to having to drag you around for three years--no offense,"

"None taken. Thanks for that, by the way."

She paused and rose an eyebrow at him, before continue with her outward expression of discomfort. "But I don't even know if my Devil Fruit has offensive capabilities... I'm just a Paramecia type too. I'm pretty weak..."

"No worries, then I'll train ya." The idea was a little daunting--how was he supposed to be teaching a girl with no fighting experience? He doubted she'd be able to keep up with his pace, but it was the least he could do. He decided it was one way he was going to make it up to Rina for a gift that he could never repay. "I'll at least teach you how to defend yourself," he nodded, understanding the apprehensive look on her features. "But you can rely on me to protect you from now on. We're partners now, right? I've got your back."

Her eyes widened slightly, pausing mid-pace in order to look at him, and then immediately look away, forcing him to miss the concerned and nervous blush that erupted onto her cheeks. "O-Okay, and if you collapse I at least know how to carry you."

For the first time since he "came back" to the realm of the living, Ace laughed. It wasn't anything particularly big or raucous, and what she had said wasn't even that funny, but a form of lightness had filled his chest, and he wasn't even entirely sure the feeling was all his either. "We're in this together. Partners."

Gaining control over her burning face, Rina turned back to him, nodding with a small, yet determined, smile. "Partners."


	3. Chapter 3

"Alright, just... hit me."

Rina's eyebrows furrowed at his request, her lips pursing as she looked between her hands and then back up at Ace again. "Just hit you? Seriously? I don't want to hurt you." The male sighed in mild exasperation.

"Well, think of it this way, you don't want to get hurt yourself, right? Most bad guys aren't gonna ask you to nicely step aside or turn yourself in, they're just going to attack," Ace tried to reason with the female, his eyebrows furrowed. Teaching Rina how to fight had been a necessary part of their agreement, and Ace refused to break promises after nearly breaking his biggest promise to Luffy. However... Rina wasn't exactly a 'fighter', and it became more apparent the more he tried to show her different moves, eventually leading up to this request. "If you're worried about hurting me, imagine I'm not me, then." She looked at him as if he had just materialized a new head. "I-I mean, imagine I'm some scoundrel getting ready to hurt innocent kids, or something." his hands raised in a shrug. "Whatever helps you get over that."

"Okay... let me try something..." she spoke softly, closing her eyes as Ace stood back. He wasn't prepped for her when she came flying at him, fist clenched into a ball. His eyes widened as she caught him in the gut, As he coughed slightly, she immediately shrunk back. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he nodded, a little bit winded but otherwise fine. "Where the heck did that come from?" When all she could to answer him was raise her shoulders in response, Ace sighed, running a hand through his jet black locks as his other rested on his waist. "Well, whatever it was, you've got a mean hook on ya'. That's something I can work with at least." Her frame didn't speak to any fighting skills whatsoever, but the way that she moved when he taught her how to block blows was something else entirely. Her feet copied his footwork flawlessly, and her arms raised and followed through movements like she had been performing them her whole life. He made these observations, but he didn't comment on them until they had trained well into the afternoon. Ace was already starting to feel better and more like his old self, although the wind would still chill him to the bone every now-and-again. It was their third day on Amriki island, and they had mostly been laying low, considering the first two days Ace spent recovering his strength after being unconscious for such a long time. As far as the villagers were concerned, Rina was caring for her sick brother, so she would go out and get food, bringing it back to him in their room. If they needed to get out of the inn, the tarp went on and she'd tell the kindly older inn owner that they were going for a walk to get him some fresh air. Ace was getting a little scared by how easy the routine was--the people were nice here. In fact, they reminded him a lot of Windmill village, and the thought made his gut twist ever so slightly.

"Well, I think we should probably go back. Once we get you to the room, I can probably go out and get some hot food from the restaurant nearby," he hadn't even registered that Rina was speaking until she was handing him a canteen of water, which he gratefully took a swig from.

"Rina, where'd you learn to move like that," Ace asked out of the blue, his eyes narrowing slightly as she seemed to freeze. Her smile, as she turned to face him, was kind, but somehow it looked to him like it didn't quite meet her eyes.

"Move like what?"

He motioned to the clearing. "Clearly you've never fought before, but then when you copy what I show you, the form is flawless." There was something she wasn't telling him, but he didn't want to press to harshly--she seemed to know a decent amount about him (probably due to the Marineford broadcast), but when they'd spoken she never really talked much about herself. There had to be a reason for it, although initially Ace had just assumed it was because there wasn't much to tell. Now he was beginning to have his doubts. 

"I guess it must have slipped my mind--I used to be a dancer," she answered simply, turning away from him to pack up their things. A dancer, huh...? That would explain her movements. 

"You know," he started, taking the burlap tarp from her when she handed it to him. "That might be an easier way to teach you how to fight--just treat the fight's like a dance. Just... one where you have to hurt the other person." She rose an eyebrow at him, clearly not following. "Look," he sighed, a small smile on his lips. "I'll show you what I mean tomorrow." As soon as he was finished speaking, something in the woods behind them shivered, and Rina turned around swiftly, her brown eyes wide. Ace quickly pulled the tarp around his form, hiding his face in shadow as he looked through the trees with narrowed eyes. On edge, he took a careful step forward, ready to attack whoever--or _whatever_ \--was there, should it prove to be a threat. 

"Two youngin's in the woods? What are you two doin' all the way out here?" a weathered voice called out to them, and although Ace straightened up, he remained on high alert just in case, watching as an older man stepped out of the tree line, a large pot on his back as he blinked at them curiously. He was certainly old enough to be anyone's grandfather, his bushy white brows shadowing his eyes something fierce, gray stubble and heavily bagged eyes hinting at many sleepless nights, and his galoshes and overall bottoms were splattered with an orange substance that Ace could only think (or hope) was clay.

"Ah, excuse us," Rina was quick to speak up, stepping toward the old man with a bright smile. "My name is RIna, and this here is my brother. We're staying at an inn over in town," she spoke politely, giving him a bow befitting of his seniority as Ace bobbed his head, eager not to be rude for Rina's sake if nothing else. 

"Ah, I heard about you two--word spreads fast in a small town like this, We don't get outsiders too often, aside from the monthly navy supply ships." Rina and Ace shared a look, knowing that sooner rather than later they'd have to get off of this island. Being seen by the marines this early on would certainly spell disaster for any element of surprise that they had. "Well, welcome to Amriki. The name's Chizo, I'm the town's potter."

"You must be the skilled ceramist that we've heard so much about!" Rina beamed, nodding eagerly to the man. "My brother and I were just heading back to the village, would you care for us to accompany you back?"

Ace wasn't sure how to feel about the old man but he seemed harmless enough, and he shrugged at Rina's questioning gaze, surely trying to gauge about whether or not this was alright with him. Chizo rubbed his chin--he must have been collecting clay for his pottery because his hands were caked with the drying red substance, the earth clinging to his chin but he didn't seem to mind it at all. "I don't see why not! In fact, come on over, I'll make us some tea." 

"O-Oh, that's quite alright sir, you don't have to do that," Rina started rambling, and the sight of her trying to deter the old man's act of kindness was enough to make Ace chuckle under his breath. 

"It's fine, _sis_ ," he grinned, and he watched as she blanched slightly, looking to him with wide, unsure eyes. "I'm not feeling the best so I think I'll go back to the room on my own. You deserve a rest, since you've been taking such good care of me." Which, despite the jab at the roles she had made for them, was mostly true. Ace still had to get used to this new body, and he also knew that Rina had basically dropped everything (even if he was still unsure what that "everything" entailed) to take care of his unconscious form--for three years. If they could afford a small break, he'd at least like to give her the option to not be concerned with him and what he was doing for a time. Regardless of how short it was, too. He saw the uncertainty in her eyes, and he nudged her with his tarp-covered shoulder. "Go on, you'll have fun."

"Alright... if you're sure..." she mumbled, watching him with furrowed eyebrows.

"I'm certain your brother will be right as rain," the old man nodded, a small smile on his lips. "You'll have to forgive the state of the place--it's been a long time since I've had any respectable guests, you see," the old man began to ramble about pottery, and Ace grinned cheekily as he took Rina's hand, the silver haired female turning her head to shoot him a weird look before turning and engaging in the conversation, leaving Ace to finish collecting their things, slinging the bag over his shoulder before heading back to town. He wasn't concerned about Rina--she could definitely throw a punch if she needed to, but there was also something about that old man that seemed genuine and trustworthy. Of course, intuition was all he had to go off of, but Ace had always deemed himself a good judge of character. Besides, if she wasn't back by a certain time, he'd just go out looking for her. If that point in time were to come, too, by then it'd be darker out and he'd be well-rested too. 

Navigating back to their inn wasn't hard at all, considering the village wasn't actually large, and he nodded to those who waved, or greeted him, although they couldn't see any of his face thanks to the tarp covering his body. He knew they were whispering about him, but he could hardly be bothered to care. Seeing as the pouch that held Rina's berries was in the bag, Ace saw it fit to buy them both something sweet on the way back, stopping at a vendor to look at some rock candy with vague interest. He was glad he did, though, because as he was perusing the different varieties, he overheard something particularly beneficial.

"It's getting to be that time again," the shop owner had sighed, speaking with a customer. 

"Oh, already? I'd almost forgotten," the woman placed a hand on her cheek in shock. "My how the time flies! Do you suppose that old man will have enough for the marines this time? Last time they bashed half of Chizo's pots because they weren't what was ordered." 

"I hope he's just stuck to what was asked of him," the candy maker sighed. Ace continued to browse, although he was definitely paying more attention to their conversation now than the sweets in front of him. "I understand wanting to make your craft the way you want to make it, but we _only_ get navy ship supplies because there's a high demand for his work. It's necessary to our very lives!" Ah, so their assumptions about this place had been correct--they relied on the navy heavily for their imports, and the next shipment was due soon. Hopefully they'd be gone by then.

"Um, excuse me. I'll take these two," Ace grinned, handing the correct amount of berries to the shop owner. The man merely smiled, nodding to him as he handed him a stick of red hard candy, and a yellow that he had decided on for Rina. Information was certainly sweet in this town, and he gnawed on the red cinnamon flavored treat as he strolled back to the inn, eager to share what he had learned with the silver haired female.

* * *

Later that evening, Rina had returned with a bright smile--a real one this time--and he noted the freshly fired pot in her hands. "That looks fancy. What is it?" he tipped his head in it's direction, and she eagerly brought it to him. It wasn't much bigger than her canteen, being quite a quaint little thing.

"This is a vase that Chizo helped me make! What do you think?" she gushed, eagerly showing the gentle patterns on the glaze, rising like stalks of bamboo along the sides of the vase. "It's a style that's perfected called _Raku_. It's quite fascinating, and the firing process is so quick! I loved watching him do it so much. Well... it must have showed, because then he asked me if I wanted to try. I think it came out well!" Ace nodded in agreement. It had the charm of an amateur, but it still looked good--and he could only assume that had something to do with old man Chizo helping her out, walking her through the steps to making it. "Apparently these pots are in high demand, but Chizo gets tired of doing the same thing every day, so sometimes he makes other things too. But he didn't mind showing me how to do it too."

"Sounds like you had fun," Ace grinned, leaning back in the chair he was sitting at the table in. "I'm glad--you looked like you could use a break."

"Oh..." her cheeks tinted pink lightly. "I don't mind at all. But yes, I did have a good time." Setting the vase down on the table, she smiled softly. "I would love to put some flowers in it, maybe... that sounds lovely." Her fingers traced the spun clay lightly, before pulling back, looking over at Ace as he became lost in thought. "I trust you got back alright on your own?"

"If by that you mean that no one saw me, then yes," he chuckled lightly, before remembering the information that he had overheard. "Hey, listen... I got you this on the way back," he dug into the bag, where he had stored the lemon flavored candy. Handing it to the silver haired woman, her eyes widened ever so slightly, before she thanked him, breaking off a piece and smiling at the sweetness. "I also overheard some things--and maybe you won't like them." He sighed--this was the worst part. "I know you like the old guy, and this place is really nice, but they're about to get a shipment of supplies from the Navy, and maybe it'd be best if we're gone _before_ they arrive."

Rina paused at that, a saddened look overtaking her features. "... okay," her voice was soft, but her nod was resolute. Ace was mildly surprised that there was no fighting on this matter, and he must have looked surprised, because she continued on after agreeing. "It's only logical--there's no way we can let you get seen by the navy. It'd be a whole mess, and we want to be as inconspicuous as possible." The son of Roger nodded, a sigh on his lips. At least he didn't have to argue over why they should leave. "It's sad though. These people are nice... I could totally see myself living here. And at one point, maybe I even would have stayed..." her big doe-eyes trailed to the window. The shutters were closed, but as the sun sank, you could begin to see the lights of homes turning on, and Rina sighed softly. In that moment, Ace suddenly saw how _tired_ Rina looked, and his brow furrowed slightly. Someone as young as she was--as they were--really shouldn't have to look and feel so distraught. 

"it's gonna be okay--remember what I said? I've got your back," he nodded to her, reaching up to tip his hat, only to remember he no longer had it. Rina turned to offer him a smile and a small nod, but once again, the smile didn't reach her eyes. Any questions that he had left his lips as they sat in silence. There was a light tension that he dared to break, his gaze flicking over to the singular bed that he had (thankfully) remembered to make that morning. "You take the bed tonight. I had a long nap so I'm not that tired." Which was a lie, but that didn't matter. Rina definitely needed the sleep more than he did at the moment, and Ace breathed out a quiet sigh of relief as the female merely nodded rather than argue with him, slowly moving over to the bed before prepping for the night and falling asleep quickly, leaving Ace alone with his thoughts. 

There was more to Rina's past than just her being a dancer, and he could see the look of someone uncomfortable with sharing their past when he looked at her. He'd seen enough men with that exact stance and nervousness when he had been the 2nd Division Commander of Whitebeard's crew. He wasn't about to pry, but if they were going to be traveling together for any extended amounts of time, it was important that they knew enough about each other to trust each other. He couldn't know what to watch out for in order to keep her safe if she didn't just _tell_ him what was up. 

Somewhere along the lines of his thoughts, he must have fallen asleep in his chair, because he began to dream. He didn't quite feel like himself, actually, and the thought made him nauseous as wisps of information slid past in rapid-fire succession.

_"You're clearly the best of us," a female voice was telling him, and he looked up to see a girl with long blonde hair pulled into pigtails, and soft round-faced features. "This is a big promotion! You could live a lush life off of this!"_

_The scene quickly morphed into something else entirely. A different girl was in front of him, and her expression was unreadable, a blank slate. "You have been invited," he didn't like the way her voice lacked any and all emotion. He didn't like the way her eyes stared lifelessly through him. This couldn't have been good._

_Once more the scene shifted, and an immediate feeling of panic rose in his chest at the tight space he found himself in. Elbows knocked against thick metal, and his knees were pressed tightly to his chest. He felt like he was choking, but he couldn't be sure. Someone was laughing in the background, and he tried to find them but his eyesight was blurring. He felt a hand on his throat and he scrambled for purchase, definitely bruising his arms as he contorted them to try and reach the wrist of the hand on his throat, trying to peel it off. His vision was fading. No! Was this the end? It couldn't be, he'd already died...! But it felt new this time. Fresh. Fear drilled deep through his body rather than anger, which should have been his first response. An explosion sounded in the distance and the hand on his throat left suddenly. He swallowed, rocks in his stomach as white started to fill his vision..._

Ace woke with a start, and immediately he looked around, seeing no one in the room with them. A sigh left his lips as the anxieties of his dream trickled into his subconscious. Was that truly what he was feeling? A whimper caught his attention, and he blinked in surprise, turning to the direction that it came from. his eyebrows drew together in confusion as Rina shifted lightly in her sleep. The moon that trickled in through the small sliver of a gap in the curtains illuminating pale clear streaks on her face signaled the lateness of the hour. Was she... crying? Getting up silently, Ace slid over toward the bed so as to not startle her awake. The closer he got the more he noticed the distress that marred her soft features. Her forehead was dotted with sweat, her lips quivering in soft whimpers as he stared awkwardly. Ace didn't know what to do. Usually when Luffy had nightmares as kids he'd just kick him until he stopped whimpering in his sleep (he always slept like a rock anyway), but somehow he felt like kicking Rina was both unhelpful and highly unnecessary in the moment.

Lost on what to do, he sat at the edge of the bed, tentatively taking a hold of the light sheet she had managed to kick off of the bed. Using it to dab at the streaks running down her cheeks, Ace paused and waited for her to calm down as she flinched in response, before going back to drying her tears. He felt so awkward. How do you comfort someone? He leaned on the headboard as he tried to formulate a plan on what to do if she continued to cry out in her sleep, only to freeze himself when he felt Rina put her arms around his waist. Looking down at the silver haired female, Ace blinked in surprise. She seemed to be doing a lot better already, and he tilted his head in confusion. Did she get nightmares often? had she had them on the boat? He couldn't even remember, having been far too exhausted himself to even think about what his savior was doing, much less know anything regarding her sleeping habits. 

Rather than pull himself away, Ace sighed, squirming slightly just so he could get comfortable. If this helped her sleep then so be it, it was the least he could do after everything the young woman had done for him. Closing his eyes, he relaxed, finding that he didn't exactly hate the position, despite knowing that he'd probably be stiff in the morning. He murmured something of a goodnight to the midnight air, and eventually Rina's soft breathing lulled him into a now-dreamless sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter is short, sorry guys!  
> I wanted to do something that helped develop their relationship a bit more, but they're still getting to know each other, so it ended up being not that much. Hopefully this will do for now. Until the next island, perhaps haha.

**Author's Note:**

> Whoooo I don't know what this is :> I just made a character and now we have Ace and maybe my soul can heal a little bit. Thanks


End file.
